2016 NFL Combine winners and losers in the SEC
Any piece attempting to judge the winners and losers at the NFL Combine must come with a strong caveat, including this one.
Performing well in “the underwear Olympics” often does little to nothing to change the opinion of NFL general managers, who prefer to evaluate football players based on — well, how they play football. Novel concept, I know.
Still, the standouts and surprises, for good and for bad, often at minimum force scouts to re-watch game video on several players to ensure that they’re grading them accurately. Viewed through the lens of their measurables and Combine performances, sometimes personnel folks find something different when watching a player on the football field.
Also, the importance of a player’s NFL Combine is very specific and unique to each individual. Often the medical and team interview portions of the event are the most vital. And all that happens behind closed doors. Even information leaked to the media must be treated with skepticism this time of the year, as general managers do anything they can to throw others off their scent.
Still, taking what we know about each player and adding to it what we gathered during our time in Indianapolis this week, we can make educated guesses about which SEC players helped or hurt their stock.
We won’t have to wait long to see if the opinion of the 32 NFL team’s decision-makers matches with ours, as the draft takes place April 28-30.
WINNERS
- Georgia RB Keith Marshall: The former Bulldogs’ backup made of glass was the biggest SEC surprise at the NFL Combine. Much like receiver Chris Conley in 2015, those who follow UGA closely were not surprised by Marshall’s feats of strength (25 reps at 225 pounds) and speed (4.31 40-yard dash). But value-hunting general managers will re-watch his 2015 video with a keen eye after this Combine performance, which may have earned him an NFL draft pick.
- Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott: The quarterback did not do anything earth-shattering in the track and field portion of the Combine, posting good numbers. But he’s an intriguing developmental candidate in a draft that’s fairly thin at the position. Here’s what NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks wrote about his on-field drills: “He was one of the top performers in passing drills, exhibiting outstanding accuracy, timing, and touch. He consistently put the ball on the mark on intermediate throws and showed a deft touch on vertical passes along the boundary. He also showed impressive footwork, balance, and body control when he dropped back, which shows growth after spending his entire college career operating from the shotgun.”
- Auburn WR Ricardo Louis: Among 37 receivers at the Combine, Louis placed in the top 5 in the 40-yard dash (fourth), bench press (tied for third), vertical leap (fifth) and standing broad jump (first). Considering Auburn’s struggles in the passing game in 2015, Louis’ 46 catches for 716 yards are not bad. His Combine numbers may help him get the benefit of the doubt as a draft pick, as several NFL personnel folks will be re-watching his game film.
- Florida DL Alex McCalister: He missed time this year due to injuries as well as internal discipline. But at the Combine, he was one of the most athletic defensive linemen in most every drill. His 3-cone time of 7.01 seconds and standing broad jump of 10-foot-8 generated some buzz in a draft class generally considered light on pass rushers, which may work in McCalister’s favor.
- Georgia LB Leonard Floyd: After being listed at 231 by Georgia, Floyd checked in at 244 in Indianapolis. His 40-yard dash, standing broad jump and vertical leap all tested among the top linebackers at the Combine. A polarizing figure among draft analysts, some docked Floyd because he did not perform on-field linebacker drills — or run a second 40-yard dash, rubbing his upper right leg in some apparent discomfort. Since he’s so athletic — and weighs 13 pounds more than Georgia listed him — he seems more versatile than some anticipated. He dropped back in coverage nearly as much as he rushed the passer in 2015. So 3-4 teams should feel comfortable selecting him as a pure edge rusher while 4-3 teams could see him as a moveable chess piece in a more traditional role.
- Auburn DB Jonathan Jones: After drawing good reviews for his Senior Bowl week, Jones blazed the fastest 40-yard dash of any defensive back in Indianapolis, then tacked on 19 bench press reps, good for second among defensive backs. An All-SEC selection in 2014, Jones claims a foot injury that required spring surgery affected him last season, which could lead NFL teams to think he’s a value pick.
LOSERS
- Mississippi State WR De’Runnya Wilson: He had one of the worst NFL Combines in 2016 regardless of position. Saturday Down South asked one of Wilson’s former teammates about the receiver’s performance in Indianapolis, and the teammate could only shake his head. The former Alabama Mr. Basketball was the slowest (4.85) and most grounded (28-inch vertical) of all the receivers in Indianapolis — a surprise, but not in a good way. That goes against the “athletic, raw, high ceiling” narrative that Wilson cultivated in Starkville.
- Florida RB Kelvin Taylor: The Gators legacy hoped to change some opinions of him by testing well at the Combine. Instead he solidified the consensus opinion that he’s not a dynamic athlete, testing near the bottom of every drill among running backs. Add to that his average of just 4.0 yards per carry for SEC East division winner Florida in 2015 and questions about his pass blocking and catching and it’s understandable if teams aren’t high on him entering the draft.
- LSU OL Vadal Alexander: Normally, drills like the 40-yard dash aren’t all that important for offensive linemen during NFL evaluations. But Alexander ran a 5.57-second 40 and looked sluggish in drills, with heavy feet. That may preclude a team from drafting him as an offensive tackle, automatically dropping his value to a degree. Alexander was a mauler at LSU, but if teams start to question his athleticism even as an NFL guard, it could prevent him from becoming an early-round pick.
- Arkansas RB Alex Collins: He didn’t test well in gym shorts compared to his positional peers, which isn’t necessarily damning. But numerous sites wrote that he didn’t move well and he struggled to catch the ball during on-field work. For a player with such a strong on-field track record with the Razorbacks, he didn’t look good against air. That’s a rare occurrence for an offensive skill player, but it could at least give a few teams some extra pause in their evaluation of him.
- Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche: An enigma on and off the field, most draft analysts agree that he has the physical potential to be a No. 1 overall pick. That won’t happen, of course. Now he may fall at least to the bottom half of the first round. In addition to inconsistent effort on the field, which he admitted to reporters, there are questions about his love of football. The incident in December in which he fell out of a hotel-room window is just one example of an incident about which teams are seeking more information. The most important parts of Nkemdiche’s Combine were his closed-door interviews with NFL teams. We don’t know how those went, but we can guess not too well based on his bizarre interview with the media. Instead of suppressing the “red flag” label, Nkemdiche seemed to solidify it.